The Order

In Ireland today a title with the order can only mean two things. The orange or the Groceries order.Now to tell ye the truth I don't really understand the groceries order in fact I probably understand the Orange Order more. But my perception of the order is that is was brought in to protect Mrs Coffey's Corner shop. (Even thought Mrs Coffey's wasn't on a corner). This is indeed a noble aim. Much of the people who are consumed in Hobbism.(I think I should try and get this word into the English language for a laugh but also it could be an interesting word to describe a new way of political agitation that may arise in the rest of the century) are the people who work and have cars. Now what will happen if large retailers come into the market at far lower prices then the local shop is that people with cars will abandon the local shops to a greater extent, put them out of business and the people in the small villages in rural Ireland without cars the young the old and the poor will be left without the ability to shop easily. With the poor transport in this country that is only getting worse and more expense. Also communities are not as strong as they used to be. With the changing of villages into commuter villages for the main urban centers and both parents working. People no longer know there neighbor's. Ask yourself can you name the people in the 5 houses nearest to you. There will no longer be the house wife/husband willing to drive there elderly neighbor to the shops to by bread and milk. These people will be even in a worse state then without the order. This has happened in Britain it will happen here. People point out that it hasn't happened in the North. But due to the troubles there community has always been close knit. But the day of the corner shop is numbered anyway with the growth of the Mace's Spar's and Centras. They use the power of bulk purchasing to out prices there small village competitors but as they are in small shops they charge more then the likes of Dunnes. So whatever the government do the small shop is going to go away and the poor and old will suffer.